Oil-switch.



H. W. CHENEY.

OIL SWITGH. PPLIGATIN FILED APR.19, 1909.

988,245, Patented Mams, 1911.

" FUNiTED sTATEs PATENT oEEicE.

HERBERT W. CHENEY, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO ALLIS-CHALMERS COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY, AND THE BULLOCK ELECTRIC MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION F OHIO.

OIL-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 2s, 1911.

Original application led October 22, 1906, Serial No. 339,905. Divided and this application iled April 19,

ITo all whom fit 'may concern: 'i

' Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oil- Switches, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

This invention relates to improvements in oil switches or circuit breakers and is a division of my prior application for automatic circuit breaker filed October 22, 1906, Serial No. 339,905.

One of the objects of the present invention is the provision of a switch which is simple in construct-ion, compact, and effective in operation.

A further object is the provision of an oil switch having contacts, part of which are supported by the removable oil receptacle, and which can be readily connected to or disconnected from the line terminals when the receptacle is raised or lowered to or from its normal position.

The invention may be brieiiy summarized as consisting in certain novel details of construction and combinations and arrangements ofparts which will be described in the specification and set forth in the appended claims.

For an understanding` of my invention reference is had to the accompanying sheets of drawings in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a threepole oil' switch `constructed in accordance with my invention, parts being in section and parts being broken awayV for the sake of clearness. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken transversely through the switch.`

Referring now to the figures of the drawings, 10 represents a cast metal frame which is designed to besecured to the rear of the switch board and which is provided with downwardly extending side and end portions 11 and 12 respectively, which form part of the side and end walls of the inclosure for the contacts. Suspended from the frame and engaging the lower edges of the downwardly extending portions 11 and 12 thereof is a removable oil receptacle 13. which, as will be explained presently, supports part of the switch mechanism and which is therefore preferably formed of Serial No. 490,970. 3

cast metal such as cast iron. The receptacle is suspended from or removably attached to the portions 11 and 12 of the frame by means of 'swinging bolts 14 and winged nuts 15, the bolts being pivoted to lugs 16 on one end and on both sides of the upper portion of the receptacle, and engaging slotted lugs 17 in the depending portions 11`and 12 of the frame. In order that the position of the tank 13 may be definitely and accurately fixed with respect to the frame, the lugs 17 may be provided with dowel pins which engage corresponding sockets in the lugs 16, one of the dowel pins being shown at 18 in Fig. 1. As is shown in the drawingsthe depending side portions 11 of the frame have portions removed therefrom forming openings which permit the contacts to be inspected or cleaned.

Rotatably mounted in the depending end nism, carries the movable contacts for the` different poles of the switch, and in this instance is provided with three equally spaced Contact rods 20 one for each pole, the rods being clamped in position against shouldered portions 21 of the drum by means of clamping nuts 22 at the upper ends of the rods. These nuts, as will be explained presently,also serve to connect the ends of ilexible conductors to the upper ends of the rods. The portions of the rods 20 below the drum are surrounded by insulating sleeves 23, and at the extreme lower ends of the rods are contacts 24 which are formed of good conducting material and are secured to the rods by screws 25.

Carried byy the receptacle 13 is an insulating supporting bar 26 for the stationary contacts of the switch. This bar, which is also preferably formed of wood as shown in Fig. 2, extends longitudinally of the receptacle along one of the sides thereof, being therefore below and at one side of the drum 19, and the ends of the bar 26 rest upon lugs 27 in the bottom of the receptacle and are secured thereto by screws 28. This bar carries three stationary .contact members 29 nuts 43 at the lower end o one for each pole of the switch, the contact members 29 being equally spaced and being arranged opposite the contacts 24 and the contact rods 20 so ascoperate therewith..

Each of the contact members 29 is secured by a screw 30 to a base 31 which is secured by the same screw 30 to the bar 26, and each contact member which is preferably stamped from sheet metal, includes a pair of upwardly projecting spring jaws 32, the purpose of which-.will be explained presently, and a flexible or spring contact finger 33 which extends downwardly and laterally below the drum 19. At the extreme end of each contact finger 33 is a Contact tip 34 which is designed to be engaged by the contact 24 on the lower end of the corresponding rod 20 when the drum is turned so as to swing the latter downward. The fingers 33 are of such a length-that the contacts 24 and 34 will be in engagement when the rods are substantially vertical so that when the switch is opened the contacts 24 and consequently the arcs will be drawn laterally and upwardly away from the contacts'34.

The receptacle is divided into compartments by insulating barriers y35.vvhich separate the poles from one another and from the ends of the receptacle. Each barrier is preferably in two parts which are secured together at the sides by strips 36 and screws 37, and each barrier is secured to the top of the frame by means of screws 38. These barriers have notched portions which tit about the insulating bar 26 and have circular openings for the drum.

Extending down through openings in the top of the frame or casting 10 are three pairs of insulating bushings 39 and 40, there being one pair of bushings for each pole of the switch as will be apparent from the two figures of the drawings. Extending through the bushings 39, one of which is shown in Fig. 2, are terminal rods 41 each provided at its upper end with a pair of nuts 42 and at itsI lower end with a pair of nuts 43. Also provided at the lower end of each of the rods above the nuts 43 is a washer 44. Surrounding the lower portionI of each of the bushings 39 between the washer 44 and the upper portion of the frame or casting `1() is an insulating sleeve 45. By tightening the nuts 42 and 43 each bushing 39 and the corresponding sleeve 45 are rmly secured to the frame and at the same time the terminal rod 41 extending bushing is likewise secured in cally connected to the corresponding contact rod 20 by means of a flexible conductor 47, one end of whichV is clam ed between the l ithe rod 41 and the other end of which is clam ed between the nuts 22 at the upper end o the rod 20. Extending through the bushings 40 which are vertically above the stationary contact members 29, are terminal rods 48 each of which is provided below the bushing with a collar 49 which engages the lower end of an insulating sleeve 50 surrounding the lower portion of the corresponding bushing 40, and at its upper end is provided with nuts 51. When these nuts 51 are tightened, the bushings 40 and the rods 48 are securely clamped in position. At the lower ends of the terminal-rods 48 are at blades or terminal members 52 which when the receptacle is in its normal position, engage between the jaws 32 of the stationary contact members 29. These members 52 and the jaws 32, therefore, form separable connections between the terminal rods 48 and the stationary contacts, and these connections can be made or broken when the receptacle is.

raised or-lowered to or from its normal position. The separable connections, therefore, permit the ready Vremoval of the receptacle, although the latter carries the stationary cont-acts 29; The terminal rods 41 are surrounded by insulating sleeves 53 andthe upper and lower portions of terminal rods 48 are surrounded by insulating sleeves 54 and 55 respectively. .Terminals 56 and 57 of each conductor of the main circuit, which, in this case, would be a three-phase circuit, are clamped between the nuts 42 and 51 on the upper ends of the terminal rods, 41 and 48 respectively of one pole ofthe switch-and agg thereby electrically connected to these r s.

I do not desire to be confined to the exact details shown but aim in my claims to cover all modifications which do not involve a departure from the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In'an oil switch, a frame, a removable oil receptacle secured thereto, stationary and movable contacts, the stationary contact bcing supported by the receptacle, a terminal member extending through the frame and having a separable connection within said receptacle with the stationary contact, said connection being made or broken when the receptacle is moved to or from its normal position.

2. In an oil switch, a frame, an oil receptacle detachably secured thereto,l movable and stationary contacts, the stationary contact having a. plurality of engaging members 'and being supported by the receptacle, terminal conductors lextending throu h l the .frame into the receptacle, one of said con- Inan oil switch, a frame,l .an oil re' to engage between the spring jaws of the plurality of stationary contact members se-k stationary contact member and adapted to form therewith a separable connection which v is made or broken when the receptacle is raised or lowered from its normalV position.

4. In an oil switch, a frame, an oil receptacle detachably secured thereto, a movable switch member having movable contact members, an insulating support carried by said receptacle, stationary contacts secured to said support and each having a plurality of engaging members, a set of terminal conductors extending through the frame, -and having separable connections with the stationary contact members, said connections being made* or broken when the receptacle is' moved toor from its. normal position.

5. In an oil switch, a frame, an oil receptacle detachably secured thereto, a movable `switch member carrying movable contact members, astationary switch member includmg a support carried by the receptacle and a plurality of contact members adapted' to coperate with the movable contact members, two sets of terminal conductors extend-- ing through the frame, one set being connected to the movable contact members and the other set having separable connections with the contact members of the stationary switch member, said separable connections including spring jaws and blades adapted to engage between said jaws, and the connections being made or broken when -thereceptacle is shifted to or from its normal position. v

6. In an oil switch, a frame, an oil receptacle detachably connected thereto, a rotary drum mounted in said frame and carrying movable contact members, an insulating bar secured to and carrled by the receptacle, a

cured to said bar and adapted to coperate with the movable contact members, each stationary contact 'member having a pair of upwardly projecting spring jaws, two sets of terminal conductors extending through the frame, the conductors of one set being electrically connected to said movable contact members and the conductors of the other set having at their lower ends portions which are adapted to engage between the jaws of the stationary contact members and to form therewith separable connections which are made or broken-when the receptacle is shifted to or from its normal position.

7. In an oil switch, a frame, an oil receptacle detachably connected to 'the frame, a drum rotatably mounted in said frame and extending longitudinally of the receptacle substantially centrally thereof, movable contact members carried by said drum, an insulat-ing support carried by the receptacle from below the drum and being adapted to be engaged b v the movable Contact members, two sets of-terminal conductors extending through the frame, flexible conductors conmeeting-the terminal conductors of one set to the movable contact members and the terminal conductors of the other set being connected to the stationary contact members.

8. In an oil switch, a frame, a removable receptacle secured thereto, stationary and movable contacts, the stationary contact being supported by the receptacle, a terminal member extending through the frame and having a separable oil submerged connection with the stationary contact, said connection being made or broken when the receptacle is moved to or from its normal position.

Milwaukee, Wis., Apr. 13, 1909.

In testimony whereof I 'affix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

HERBERT W. CHENE Y.

Witnesses:

H. C. CASE, CHAs. L. BYRON. 

